Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the
symbol in each box.

Welcome to Am I Infected

IMPORTANT UPDATE
Posted Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Welcome to the "Am I Infected?" POZ forum.

New members -- those who have posted three or fewer messages -- are permitted to post questions and responses, free of charge (make them count!). Ongoing participation in the "Am I Infected?" forum -- posting more than three questions or responses -- requires a paid subscription.

A seven-day subscription
is $9.99, a 30-day subscription is $14.99 and a 90-day subscription is $24.99.

Anyone who needs to post more than three messages in the "Am I Infected?" forum -- including past, present and future POZ Forums members -- will need to subscribe, with
secure payments made via PayPal.

There will be no charge to continue reading threads in the
"Am I Infected?" forum, nor will there be a charge for participating
in any of the Main Forums; Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits; and Off Topic
Forums. Similarly, all POZ and AIDSmeds pages,
including our "How is HIV
Transmitted?" and "Am I Infected? (A
Guide to Testing for HIV)" lessons, will remain accessible to
all.

NOTE: HIV testing questions will still need to be posted in the "Am I
Infected?" forum; attempts to post HIV symptoms or testing questions in any other forums will be considered violations of our rules of membership and subject to time-outs and permanent bans.

To learn how to upgrade your Forums account
to participate beyond three posts in the "Am I Infected?" Forum, please click here.

Thank you for your understanding
and future support of the best online support service for people living with,
affected by and at risk for HIV.

Author
Topic: Im back (Read 19621 times)

hey everyone i would just like to thank yall for advising ppl on problems like mine so here goes i had unprotected vaginal sex for maybe a little over a minute with a girl of unknown status. awhile after that i had an hiv test at my doctor(it wasnt after the window period so i can pretty much scratch that one) it came back negative....well some relief? yea right i kept worrying and recently which i know for a fact was at least 13 weeks my mom(im 16) called the local health center(i had been there before for a flew shot it was dirty so im sure they dont know what they are doing there) they said she just needed to prick my finger and get my blood on somthing white so she did and she sealed it and the next day took it up there and 3 days later they called and said negative. now heres my worry like i said earlier i had been the before for a shot and it looked shitty so im thinkin maybe they didnt know what they were talkin about when they told us wat to do or even tested me or new wat they were doin when they were testing my blood so does anyone know if im safe or not if so it would be much appriciated thanx a bunch

If you got tested 13 weeks after your sexual encounter, the test should be pretty accurate. If you are still worried, tell your mom that you would like to go to a different clinic for another test. Bottom line dude, wear a condom every time, no exceptions.

A false negative would be an extremely unusual event at 13 weeks or after. Despite your reservations about how the clinic looked and their sloppiness, I would still think you can assume it was a reliable result.

Have you called the clinic to ask what test they perform? And also to express your concerns about the overall experience? That would be a good thing to do.

I don't see re-testing to be necessary but I don't live in your shoes. Can you call your local board of health and ask for an alternative testing site?

Also and not the least important, you need to learn from this experience. Anytime you have intercourse you need to be using a latex condom. It doesn't matter what you think you know about your partner or how great they look or anything else. Always use a condom.

well im back and i have not so good news.....i took that one adminastrators advice and i called the health department to ask if the test was fda approved and wat test they use......THEY DONT KNOW!!.....can u beilieve that? the girl said i have no clue and she even laughed about it. im so pissed off right now to tell u the truth i dont even care if i do have it the satisfaction of knowing i have it will be alot better than this worryin i do not knowing, and my mother doesnt help either i know shes stressed and doesnt wanna here it but goddamn they should atleast know this stuff but watever i just thought id get back to u about this and oh yea sorry i started a new thread i couldnt find my other one. thanx for all yalls help yall are a blessing and i purchased somthing from amazon through the link yall have so yall will get a donation thanx for yalls help bye.

I've merged your new thread into your oringinal thread - where you should post all your addtional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

If you go to this HIV testing center database and enter your zip code, you can find a testing center near you that WILL know what they're doing. I suggest you go and test again, collect your negative result and remember to use condoms in future. Please let this whole scare be a lesson you never forget.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

hey ann i fill a little better i used the link u gave me and one of the clinics that came up was the one where my blood was taken too so i feel better not completly but still better thanx ann god bless u

well im back again with more of my ridiculous fears. im sure some of u remember me as the guy who got tested way after the window period due to my brief unprotected sexual experience and was worried cuz i thought the clinic didnt know what they were doin. well ann gave me a link to look up hiv testing sites near me and she said any of the clinics on there would for sure get my test right. well the clinic i got my test at was on there so i was relieved for awhile. well it just seems like im showin symptoms, my glands appear to be swollen im not to sure though, and lately ive been dizzy and been having blurred vision and headaches cuz of it and also been very tired, so now im back to worryin. but if anyone of the moderators here have any relaxing news to tell me im all ears so bye thanx alot and this is a good sight god bless u all

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

This is the second time I've had to merge your threads. Please get with the program.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

Symptoms mean nothing, but your negative test results mean you do NOT have hiv. If there are things going on with your body that worry you, go see your doctor. We can't diagnose you, only a doctor can.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

well, thanx ann ur alot of help to ppl on here. u should fill good about urself and im sorry i made another thread i wasnt thinking about what i was supposed to do im sorry but thanx for ur help i just hope i can stop worrying.

i dont know whats wrong with me, i guess im going crazy, my head is constantly hurting, my vision is bluring and im seein little spots here and there. i know im infected and that my test was inaccurate. but i guess this is just something i will have to live with, thousands of ppl do so why cant i?. well i will and when my time comes where im layin in a bed weak and unable to move with soares all over me i can think of how bad i fucked up but anyway thanx for ur help help bye oh and let this be an example that even 13 year olds get the shit

Donīt do that! Itīll be another negative but your fears will not resolve if you are not willing to accept the wonderful news. This is nothing a medicinal test can solve for you, what you need is counseling. Even with the next negative test youīll find something that seems to be odd to you..

none of yall know wat the fuck your talkin about.i have a disiese that u keep tellin me i dont have. whos fuckin side are u on. oh and by the way i had unprotected sex with a black girl who sleeps around a bunch and dont call me racist we all know the virus is more prodomenant in the black community come on yall need to stop feedin ppl bullshit u friggin liars

haha good one man yea like i never thought of that, but my point is ppl like u are dangerous u tell hiv positive ppl they are negative but anyway ill drop bein vulgar. ill make a deal with you, im gonna get tested again if it comes back negative ill appologize for all i said but if it comes back positive then we will all know u are all fakes and dont know wat ur talkin about but thats the case anyway cuz im positive.

If I see any further abusive language from you, you WILL be given a time out, no questions asked. I will not have you abusing people in this forum.

You are hiv negative and it's high time you went to a doctor to find out what your real problem is. You might be missing something important through your insistance that your hiv test is wrong. There ARE other illnesses in the world, you know.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hi this is my third time here you all know my story. my symptoms keep raging on my head is killin me my throat hurts swollen lymph nodes in my neck i am litteraly going insane. i KNOW i have the disiese and ill have to live with it. theres no way for me to get another test, my mom wont let me so even if i dont have it im screwed anyway but i wanna appologize for my profanity on here,u guys are alot of help to ppl in my position so pray for me and wish me the best and hope i dont go completly insane

Hi this is my third time here you all know my story. my symptoms keep raging on my head is killin me my throat hurts swollen lymph nodes in my neck i am litteraly going insane. i KNOW i have the disiese and ill have to live with it. theres no way for me to get another test, my mom wont let me so even if i dont have it im screwed anyway but i wanna appologize for my profanity on here,u guys are alot of help to ppl in my position so pray for me and wish me the best and hope i dont go completly insane

And i'm betting you haven't seen a mental health counselor yet?? This is the only professional who can get to the "true" root of your problems. You can either go see one and start feeling better or carry on the way you've been. The choice is yours...

i wish i could get mental help but my parents wont here of any of my problems. my throat is constantly soar now , my head is gettin worse, swollen lymph nodes. idk wat to do i just think i have it and im goin literally insane

If you are still living with your parents and they won't take you to a doctor, then you'll have to talk to a trusted teacher or other adult to get the health care you need. If you're old enough to be having sex, you're old enough to arrange a doctor's appointment.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

hey guys.....well im back again, still worried my head and throat are bothering me at the same time and leave at the same time then come back. im starting to accept im hiv positive and i have a plan to help myself and society so thanx for all yalls help i appreciate it

I know im supposed to stick with my own thread, but since you seem to be going insane saying there is no alternative explanation for what your going through, i figured i'd shoot this one out to you. This may be your problem: you are concerned you are infected and these thoughts have taken over your life. As such you have manifested (brought) these symptoms upon yourself. It is a well documented phenomena callled a pyscho-somatic illness.

Defined:A psychosomatic illness, now more commonly referred to as psychophysiologic disorders, is an illness whose symptoms are caused by mental processes of the sufferer rather than immediate physiological causes

..if you have tested negative as per your updates than as the moderators have said, you're negative. The symptoms you have are most likely a result of your psychosis and obsession.

There is nothing we can do about what you think except give you the facts. What you do with them it up to you. If you want to live your life in fear so be it. You're HIV negative and that is all there is to it.

I have no idea what your problems are, but it is not HIV and this is an HIV forum. We have others here that have had a risk and have a reason to worry. So it's time for you to move on, because we can not be of further help with your issues.

you know i think im spiralling into insanity. nothin in my life has ever gone right. i know i have it. there is no explanation for my symptoms, im thinking of confronting the girl i had unprotected sex with, what have i got to lose? well thanx for ur help.

i have gone literally insane lol. omg the crap i do i grab my throat and head and squeeze as if thats gonna stop the disiese....i feel it reproducin in my veins..i feel myself dying. im not gonna be here much longer before this consumes me. atleast the girl who gave it to me is goin with me. may whoever the first was to transmit this virus burn in hell.

You have to visit a mental health professional. Your mind refuses to believe the idea that you're negative, although you definitely are. The only way to know if you were infected or not, is taking the anti-bodies test at the right time (12-13 weeks post the last potential exposure), and since your last test result was negative, then YOU ARE negative. I can understand your persistent fears, I really can, but I'm telling you: HIV is not about guesses and fears, but about science and knowledge, and since the scientific fact states that the antibodies test is conclusive when done at the right time, then you have to believe in this, exactly like you believe in the fact that HIV exists! Go take another test if this would result in some relief, but I 100% expect you to test negative. GET YOURSELF OUT OF THIS MOOD, you're just hurting yourself unnecessarily. You've been informed about your risk from some of them most knowledgeable people in the world, but you still REFUSE to believe. Again, go to a mental health professional to get help, your fears are irrational, and are of a phobic nature, but fortunately are very easy to shift out if you want to. Good luck.

ive gotten on meds that have really helped my worries, not completly but alot. i have another question but its not for me its for a friend. he is an 18 year old gay male who just recentlu came out 2 me but it doesnt bother me cuz im not homophobic. anyway, he had protected anal sex with a guy one time and says that he enjoyed it so much that he sometimes anally pleasures himself with his finger. he knows about my hiv scare and me postin on these boards but he does not use internet and asked me 2 post a question for him. he says he constantly anally pleasures himself, at home, at school in the bathroom, etc. his fear is that he never washes his hands before doing so and hes worried that he could have some kind of hiv+ fluid on his finger. i tell him that really doesnt sound like an hiv risk but just for the sake of germs he should wash his hands but he doesnt believe so im gonna have him over 2 my house to read yalls reply. thanx a bunch bye.

Tell your friend that there is absolutely no way he'd become infected with hiv through doing this.

Have him read the Transmission Lesson - the link is in the Welcome thread. And have him read this too:

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection. Sex with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts